For a mild-mannered man whose music was always easy on the ear, Nat King Cole managed to be a figure of considerable controversy during his 30 years as a professional musician. From the late ’40s to the mid-’60s, he was a massively successful pop singer who ranked with such contemporaries as Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and Dean Martin. He shared with those peers a career that encompassed hit records, international touring, radio and television shows, and appearances in films. But unlike them, he had not emerged from a background as a band singer in the swing era. Instead, he had spent a decade as a celebrated jazz pianist, leading his own small group. Oddly, that was one source of controversy. For some reason, there seem to be more jazz critics than fans of traditional pop among music journalists, and Cole’s transition from jazz to pop during a period when jazz itself was becoming less popular was seen by them as a betrayal. At the same time, as a prominent African-American entertainer during an era of tumultuous change in social relations among the races in the U.S., he sometimes found himself out of favor with different warring sides. His efforts at integration, which included suing hotels that refused to admit him and moving into a previously all-white neighborhood in Los Angeles, earned the enmity of racists; once, he was even physically attacked on-stage in Alabama. But civil rights activists sometimes criticized him for not doing enough for the cause.

Tracklist

01. Smile02. Mona Lisa03. Unforgettable04. Route 66!05. Quizás, Quizás, Quizás06. Ramblin’ Rose (feat. Belford Hendricks Orchestra)07. Fly Me to the Moon (feat. George Shearing Quintet)08. Sweet Lorraine09. Go Down, Moses (feat. Church of Deliverance Choir, Gordon Jenkins)10. When You’re Smiling (feat. Belford Hendricks Orchestra)11. Just One of Those Things (feat. Billy May and His Orchestra)12. For Sentimental Reasons13. A Beautiful Friendship (feat. George Shearing Quintet)14. Ballerina15. Calypso Blues16. Azure-Te (feat. George Shearing Quintet)17. Careless Love (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)18. A Media Luz (feat. Ralph Carmichael Orchestra) [Arranged by E. Bergdahl, Nat King Cole]19. I Never Knew (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)20. When Our Lover Has Gone (feat. Billy May and His Orchestra)21. Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup22. Can’t Help It (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)23. Harlem Blues (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)24. I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good (feat. George Shearing Quintet)25. Dedicated to You (feat. Dave Cavanaugh and His Orchestra)26. If I Could Be with You (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)27. I’m Lost (feat. George Shearing Quintet)28. A Thousand Thoughts of You (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)29. In the Sweet by and By (feat. Church of Deliverance Choir, Gordon Jenkins)30. Pick Yourself Up (feat. George Shearing Quintet)31. St Louis Blues (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)32. Caboclo Do Rio (Arranged By Dave Cavanaugh)33. It’s Only a Paper Moon34. Looking Back35. Blue Gardenia36. The Christmas Song37. Wolverton Mountain (feat. Belford Hendricks Orchestra)38. If I May39. Yellow Dog Blues (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)40. Welcome to the Club (feat. Dave Cavanaugh Orchestra)41. Morning Star (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)42. Don’t Go (feat. George Shearing Quintet)43. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square44. In the Heart of Jane Doe (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)45. Nature Boy46. That’s All (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)47. Chantez-Les Bas (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)48. I Get a Kick out of You (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)49. Never Let Me Go (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)50. Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen (feat. Church of Deliverance Choir, Gordon Jenkins)51. Non Dimenticar52. These Foolish Things Remind Me of You (feat. Billy May and His Orchestra)53. Not so Long Ago54. Imagination (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)55. Serenata (feat. George Shearing Quintet)56. You’re Bringing out the Dreams in Me (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)57. Let There Be Love (feat. George Shearing Quintet)58. The Good Times (feat. Belford Hendricks Orchestra)59. A Blossom Fell60. When You Walked By (feat. Dave Cavanaugh and His Orchestra)61. Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)62. Straighten up and Fly Right63. Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep (feat. Church of Deliverance Choir, Gordon Jenkins)64. No Me Platiques (feat. Ralph Carmichael Orchestra) [Arranged by Ralph Carmichael]65. Your Cheatin’ Heart (feat. Belford Hendricks Orchestra)66. Orange Colored Sky67. Who’s Sorry Now? (feat. Billy May and His Orchestra)68. Pretend69. The Blues Don’t Care (feat. Dave Cavanaugh Orchestra)70. I Found the Answer (feat. Church of Deliverance Choir, Gordon Jenkins)71. The Best Thing for You (feat. Dave Cavanaugh and His Orchestra)72. I Remember You73. Lost April (feat. George Shearing Quintet)74. September Song (feat. George Shearing Quintet)75. There’s a Lull in My Life (feat. George Shearing Quintet)76. Yo Vendo Unos Ojos Negros (Arranged By Nat King Cole)77. Walkin’ My Baby Back Home78. Sing Another Song (feat. Belford Hendricks Orchestra)79. I Am in Love80. Night Light81. Somewhere Along the Way82. Tea for Two (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)83. Tell Me All About Yourself (feat. Dave Cavanaugh and His Orchestra)84. I Don’t Want It That Way (feat. Belford Hendricks Orchestra)85. What Can I Say After I Say I’m Sorry (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)86. The Late, Late Show (feat. Dave Cavanaugh Orchestra)87. I Just Found out About Love (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)88. Too Young89. I Didn’t Know What Time It Was (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)90. Wee Baby Blues (feat. Dave Cavanaugh Orchestra)91. I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray (feat. Church of Deliverance Choir, Gordon Jenkins)92. When Rock and Roll Come to Trinidad93. April in Paris (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)94. I See Your Face Before Me (feat. Nelson Riddle Orchestra)95. Wild Is Love96. Capullito de Alei (Arranged By Dave Cavanaugh)97. You Are My Love (feat. Dave Cavanaugh and His Orchestra)98. Answer Me, My Love99. He’ll Have to Go (feat. Belford Hendricks Orchestra)100. I Should Care (feat. Billy May and His Orchestra)